Compound gas-engine.



No. 762,421. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

- A. LEINGARTNER.

COMPOUND GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23,1903.

NO MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I BYMVM WITNESSES.

A TTORNE Y5 No. 762,421. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

A. LEINGARTNER. I

COMPOUND GAS ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1903 N0 MODEL 3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR. M I m I 6%, M

' BY V i A TTORNE x8 PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

A. LEINGARTNER. COMPOUND ,GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1903.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

IN VEN TOR.

WITNESSES.

A TTORNE Y6.

U ITED STATES Patented June 14;, 1904;

PATENT OFFICE.

COMPOUND GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,421, dated June 14, 1904.

' Application filed September 23,1903. Serial No. 174,245. (No model.)

To (11 whom it may concern.

Be it known that 'I, ALoIs LEINGA'RTNER, a citizen of Austria, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in "Compo'iind Gas-Engines, of which the following is a. specification.

'Myinvention relates toimprovements in.

that class of compound gas-engines in which the explosive pressure of the gas from two 'liigh-pressure cylinders is caused to exhaust into a third low-pressure cylinder. The object of my present invention is to provide simple means 'for converting the engin e-at will by the movement of-a lever from a compound into a single direct-acting engine in whichthe gas will be received and exploded in all of said cylinders alike and exhaust from said cylinders into the atmosphere direct from each of said cylinders the same as from the cylinder of an ordinary single direct-aetmg gas'-engine,'whereby the power of a'given engine may at a loss in economic efliciency be greatly 'increased ascircumstances require and whereby when a less power is required the engine may be used as a compound engine with less power and with highertefiicieney.

The construction of my engine is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical Fig. 2 is a trans erse section drawn on 'line :11 of Fig; 1. Fig.3 is -a.-diagrammatic view in which: the valve-rods are shown as if turned down from a vertical to a horizontal position that the relativepos'itionS 9f the several valves to their seats may be hetter illustrated and understood. Fig. 4'represents a front view of an automatic circuitcloser removed from the engine. Fig. 5 represents a side view of cam t7. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the cylindersand the ducts and ports leading to and from them.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several'views; ,1 and 2 arethe high-pressurecylinders,

into which the gas is alternately admitted and exploded. s

3 is a low-pressure cylinderninto which when the engine'is used as a'conipoundj en gine the gas is admitted from the other two high-pressure cylinders alternately with thebaclr movement of the pistons in such cylinders. i

It will be understood that when-the engine is used as a compound engine and the piston .in cylinder 1 is at the upperend of the cylinder the gas is first exploded in such cylinder 1, when with the downward stroke of the piston in sucl1 cylinder the piston in the third or low-pressure cylinder, which is attached to v whereby the second explosion will occur in the second high-pressure cylinder, and as the by the expansion. of the gastherein the pis ton in the low-pressure cylinder will be again driven upward preparatory to being'acted upon by the gas from the second cylinder as the same is driven out by the return stroke of the piston in such second cylinder.

1 Thus it will be understood that when the explosion takes :place in one of said-"highpiston in such second cylinder-is driven back pressure cylinders the gas and air are being drawn into the other high-pressure "cylinder preparatory to being compressed, and that pressed'the explodedgas in the first-named when the gas which has thus been drawnitito the high} pressurecylinder is being comcylindeifliseaused to act-1 upon the piston in the low-pressure cylinder upon the opposite side of said crank-shaft, ,whereby the 'crank shaft'is actuated upon one side with ghettopressure cylinder with each revolutionand upon th qppbsiteside by the pistons in one of said high-pressure cylinders witheach alternate revolution.- For example, when the piston inthehigh-pressure cylinder-l is be:

ing driven down by the exploded gas therein ,fresh gas and air will be drawn into the other cylinders (which is caused by the stroke of the piston in the low-pressure cylinder) the exploded gas in cylinder 1 will pass into the low-pressure cylinder 3, while the gas which has been drawn into the cylinder 2 will be simultaneously compressed; that when the piston in cylinder 2 is driven down by the explosion of the gas which has been thus eompressed fresh gas-and air will be drawn into cylinder 1 preparatory to being compressed with the upward stroke of the piston in such cylinder. Thus it will be understood that fresh gas and air are alternately drawn into said high-pressure cylinders 1 and 2 as the pistons therein move downwardly and are alternately compressed and exploded in such cylinders as said pistons are moved upwardly with each alternate revolution of the crankshaft.

4 and 5 represent the pistons in the highpressure cylinders. 6 represents the piston in the low-pressure cylinder. 7 represents the crank-shaft, which is supported in journalbearings 8 of ordinary construction fromthe frame 9. The several cylinders are preferably provided with a water-jacket 10 and a water-chamber 11. 12 represents the heads of the several cylinders, which are secured in place by the retaining-bolts 13. The cylinderl communicates with the inlet-gas duct 14 through the branch 15, chamber 16, and chamber 70. The cylinder 2 communicates with said inlet-duct 14 through the branch 15, chamber 16, and chamber 72. The mixed gas and air is drawn through said ducts and chambers into" said cylinders preparatory to being compressed and exploded therein at the proper moment. The passage of gas and air through the chamber to the respectiveeylinders is governed by the valves 17, 18, 21, and 22, and the escape of the exploded gas and air from said cylinders is controlled at the proper time through the valves 19 and 20.

Motion is communicated to the inlet-valves 17, 18,19, 20, 21, and 22, inclusive, from the crank-shaft 7 through the gears 27 28 29, camshaft 30, cams 31-, 32, 33, 34, 35, and36, and valve-rods 37, 38, 39, 40, 4'1, and 42, while motion is communicated from said crank shaft 7 to the exhaust-valves 23, 24, 25, and 26, in-

clusive, at the proper time through the gears 27 28 43, cam-shaft 44, cams 45 46 47 48, and valve-stems 49, 50, and 51 and 52. 1V hen desirous to use the engine as a compound engine, or, in other words, so that the pressure of the exploded gas and hot air in the highpressure cylinders, r spectively, will exhaust into the low-pressure cylinder, the valve-eontrolling lever 53 willbe thrown into the positiou indicated in Fig. 3, whereby the camshaft 30 will be moved toward the right and the cam-shaft 44-will be moved toward the left.

- When the cam-shaft 30 is drawn toward the right,as thus indicated, the cams 34 and 35 will be brought to such a position beneath the valves 18 and 19 as to cause said valves to be simultaneously raised, whereby the gas and air in the high-pressure cylinder 1, which has been drawn in past the valve 17, exploded by a previous stroke, passes into the low-pressure cylinder 3. with the upward stroke of the piston in said cylinder 1, whereby the piston in the cylinder 3 is driven to the said cylinder. 7

When the cam-shaft 30 has been revolved lower end of half a revolution, the valves 20 and 21 will be raised by the action of the cams 32 and 33, while the valves 18 and 19 will be permitted to close, whereby the expanded gas and air in the high-pressure cylinder 2 will be permitted to exhaust into the saidlow-pressure cylinder 3, while at the same time fresh gas and air are being drawn into the high-pressure cylinder preparatory to being exploded therein. The valves 17 and 22 are raised at the proper moment to admit the gas with the downstroke of the piston in the cylinders 1 and '2 by the cams, 31 and 36, which project at right angles from the other cams on said shaft. In like manner when the explosion takes place in the highpressure cylinder 1 gas and air are being drawn into the cylinder 2 past the valve 22, which is raised by the action of the cam 31.

It will be understood that when the engine is being thus used as a compound engine owing to the fact that both of the high-pressure cylinders exhaust'into the low-pressure cylinder it becomes necessary to operate but one ofv the exhaust-valves which lead from said highpressure cylinder. For this reason the cams 45, 46, and 48 are thrown outof operating connection with the several exhaust-valves 23, 25, and 26, while the exhaust-valve 24 only is actuated, motion being communicated to said valve 24 through the cam 47 with each revolution of the cam-shaft 44. The cam 47 is so adjusted as to open the exhaust at the proper moment for permitting "the escape of foul gases from the low-pressure cylinder as the same is raised, while the relative positions of the several cams on the shaft 30 are such as to operate the several valves 17 to 22, inclusive, to permit the passage of gas to and from the several cylinders, as stated, at the proper moments. i

It will be noticed that the gas-controlling valves 17 and 18 are located in a separate chamber 70 by themselves. The gas-controlling valvcs 19 and 20 are'located in a separate chamber 71 by themselves, and the gaseontrolling valves 21 and 22 are also located in a separate chamber 72 by themselves, and that each of said,- three chambers 'is provided with separate sparkingterminals 53, 54,and 55,

which terminals are connected with an electric battery 56, as hereinafter described The gas in the several chambers 70, 71, and

72 is ignited at the proper moment by an' electric spark produced in the ordinary way by the several sparking terminals 53, 54, and

'55. When the engine is used as a compound and from thence through the machine to the sparking terminals 53, thence through the wire 59, sparking coil 60, wire 84, electrode 85, circuit-closing roller 86, lever 87, collar 88,. to the shaft 44, thus completing the cir- 18,19, 20, and'21, ment the several cuit; second, the circuit between the'bat- --tery. and the spar-king terminals is formed in like manner through the connections enumerated, and from the terminals 55.back to the battery, through the wire 57, sparking coil 60, wire 83, electrode 90, roller 86, lever 87., and sleeve 88, to the-said shaft 44, thus completing the circuit.

It will 'thus be understood that the same movement of the le- ,ver 53 which closes the electric circuit with said terminals in the manner described also moves the respective cam-shafts and cams thereon "which govern the movement of the valve. a 3 l When desirous to increase the power 'of'the engine, the position of the operating-lever 53' is reversed, whereby the action of the several valves is so changed as to practically convert the engine from a compound to a single-acting 'engine, when the gas is received in all of said cylinders alike and discharged from all alike into a muflier or the atmosphere, while, by

such movementof the lever the electric circuit is closed with allof said sparking terminals at the proper moment, "corresponding with the movement of the respective. pistons.

By reversing the position of the lever 53 from that shown the cam-shaft 30 is moved toward the left and the cam-shaft 44 is moved, toward the right, whereby the several cams-32, 33,.

34, and 35 are shifted so as to be thrown out of operative connection with the several valveswhile by the same move other cams 45, 46, 47,- and 48 will be {thrown into operative connection with the several other valves23, 24,

.25, and '26,"..whereby the gas will be received into the two high-pressure cylinders 1 and 2 through the valves'17 and 22-, respectively, and exhausted therefrom direct tothe mufller or atmosphere through the valves 23 and 26, while-gas-will be received direct from the snppiy to the larger'cylinder, 3"through the valve 25 and exhausted therefromthrough.

the valve 24 direct to the atmosphere or mufiler.

When the lever 53'i's in the position shown, the electric circuit isclosed between such leverf and the wires leading to the sparking terminals 53 and 55" through the electros 91.

When the-lever is reversed, it is brought into electric'connection with all of said sparking terminals through the electros 93, 94, and 95, and the movement of the automatic circuitclos'er is sotimed as to close the circuit with said several sparking terminals, so as to ignite-the gas in the several cylinders at the proper moment. The circuit-closing roller 86 is brought into electric contact with the sparking terminal 54 through the electros 96. The electros 96 are brought into electric connection with the electros 'through the wire 97.

The roller-supporting lever 87 is pivotally connected with the collar 88 through the pin 98, and the contactroller86 isheld yieldingly against the inclosing ca'se 94 by the spring 100. The spring is connected at one end with said lever 87 and at the other end with said collar 88. I The respective cam-shafts 30 and 44 are slidably supported in journal-bearings from the main frame ofthe engine, and they are free to be moved longitudinally therein when changing the position of the valve-actuating cams in relation to the respective valve-rods. The lower ends of the valve- -rods are provided with rollers 102, whichare adapted to bear upon the respective cams with which they operate.

To provide for opening the several valves with a quick positive movement as the apex;

of the severalvcams pass beneath the bearing rollers, 1 have interposed a slidable bearingblock 103 between the roller-supporting bracket 104 and the valve-rods. The lower ends of the valve-rods are slidably connected with said bearing-blocks in suitable apertures provided therefor by pins 105, which pins are rigidly affixed at their centers to said valverods, while their outer ends operate in elongated slots 106, provided therefor in said blocks.v The slots 106 permit of a certain lost movement of the bearing-blocks as the rollersupporting brackets are raised by the cam. The blocks are thus moved upward without moving the valve-rods or valves until the lower side of the slot 106 is brought in contact with the pin, when the action of the cam will be brought to bear rigidly against the valve-rod until the valve is raised from its seat against the pressure of thegas in the chamber above it. The bearing-blocks 103 are pressed downwardly, so as to hold thefbearing-rollers 'yieldingly against the cams by the spiral the several bearing-blocks 103" by the spiral V springs 110. The springs 110 are interposed between the collars 111, formed. on the periphery of the valve-rods and the stationary sleeves 112, the said springs 107 and 110 being so wound as to be compressed by the upward movement of the valve-rod and 'to move said valves totheir seats bytheir recoil when released from the action of thefcam.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a compound gas-engine, the combination of 'twoalternately-aeting high pressure cylinders each provided with a piston and an igniting-chamber; a single ow-prcs's'ure cylinder provided with a piston and an ignitingchamber; means, for alternately controlling the action of the valves communicating between said high-pressure cylinders and said low-pressure cylinder; means for leading the exhaust alternately from each of said highpressure cylinders to said low-pressure cylinder; means for supplying one of said highpressure cylinders with air and gas as the piston in the other high-pressure cylinder is being forced downwardly by the explosion therein; means for compressing the :air and gas thus supplied in said high-pressure cylinders respectively with the downstroke of the piston in the low-pressure cylinder; means for manually changing the Valve-operating mechanism so as to close the exhaust-passages between the two high-pressure cylinders and the low' pressure cylinder; means for automatically opening communication between the gas-supply and all three of said cylinders and means for automatically opening the exhaust from 'all of such cylinders into the atmosphere, whereby said engine may be used as a threecylinder direct-acting engine, or as a compound engine, and whereby the air and gas are drawn'into and compressed in the respective high-pressure cylinders by theaction of the piston in the low-pressure cylinder, substantially as set forth. I

2. In a gas or vapor engine the combination of twoalternately-acting high-pressure cylinders each havinga piston and furnished with an igniting-chamber, a low-pressure cylinder having an igniting-chamber and a piston, and taking the exhaust alternately from each of said high-[n'essure cylinders, a single electric battery and normally open circuit having sparking terminals in each of said ignitingchambers, means operated by the gas-controlling valve mechanism for closing the electric circuit with each of said sparking terminals in the high-pressure cylinders alternately at the end of the charge compressiou-stroke, means for manually changing the gas-eontrolling valve mechanism so as to admit gas to all of said cylinders alike, direct from the supply and cause them all alike to exhaust d irect into the atmosphere, and means operated by the valve-controlling mechanismsfoiclosing the electric circuit with the sparking terminals in all of said igniting-chambers at the end of the charge compression-stroke in the "several cylinders" respectively, whereby said V engine may be operated either as a compound, or direct acting engine at the will'of -the op erator. i

3. In a gas-engine the combination of two alternately acting high pressure cylinders,

each havmg a piston and an 1gn ting-cham+- her; a single low-pressure cylinder, having a piston and taking the exhaust alternately from each of said high pre ssure cylinders; a single electric battery and normally open electric circuit, having sparking terminals in each of said igniting-chambers; means operated by the gas-controlling valve mechanism, for closing the electric circuit with the sparking terminals in the igniting-ehambersof the highpressure cylinders alternately at the end of v the charge compression-strokes in said cylinders; two longitudinally-moving cam-shafts? a pluralityof valve-actuating cams, supported from said shafts; a plurality of gas-controlling valves, supported by their respective valve-rods from said earns, the cams on the respective shafts being so adjusted as to control the passage of the gas both to and from the respective cylinder at the proper moment corresponding with the stroke of the pistons in such cylinders and means for simultaneously communicating a rotary motion to both of said shafts from the main crank-shaft of the engine substantially as set forth.

' 4:; In a gas-engine the combination of two alternately-acting high pressure cylinders each having a piston and an igniting-chamher; a single low-pressure cylinder, having a piston and taking the exhaust alternately from each of said high-pressure cylinders;'a single electric'battery and normally open electric circuit, having sparking terminals in each of said igniting-chambers; means operated by the gas-controlling valve mechanism for closing the electric circuit with the sparking terminals in the igniting-chambers of the highpressure cylinders alternately at the end of the charge compression-strokmin said cylinders, two longitudinally-moving cam-shafts; a plurality of valve-actuatingcams supported from said shafts, a plurality of gas-control ling valves supported by their respective valve-rods from said cams, the" cams on the respective shafts being so adjusted as to control thepassage of the gas both to and from the respective cylinders at the proper moment corresponding with the strokes of the piston in such cylinders; means for simul-- 5. In a gas-engine of the class described the combination of high and low pressure cylinders, mechanism for reversing the valve-controlling cams and valves connected with said cylinders and converting said engine 'from either a single-acting to acompound or from a compound to a single-acting engine, an electric-circuit closure operated by the v'alve-actuating cam-shaft comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in the line of movement 10 of a revoluble circuit-closing arm, said arm In testimony w'hereofI afiix mysignature in I 5 the presence oftwo witnesses.

ALOIS LElNGARTNER' Witnesses:

JAs. BERWIN, F. SCHIFFENEDER. 

